Seventies Wedding: 1972 Checker Aerobus

The Checker Aerobus was a factory made super long wheel base version of their iconic Marathon model.

This thing is half Ghostbusers mobile, half Studio 54 curb candy. Most stretch limos based on sedans are appalling looking. This one, complete with muscle car white-text Goodyear tires, looks utterly amazing.

The Marathon needs no introduction. It was THE taxicab of America's major cities during the 60s, 70s and 80s. The design is timeless and infinitely charming.

The Aerobus expounds on the Marathon's role as a utilitarian people hauler. It was made from 1962-1977 and offered in two lengths and in either sedan or wagon bodies. Only a total of 3,568 were ever made.

Fortunately, all Aerobus cars with V8 engines, not the already underpowered 6-cylinders.

The seller says this Aerobus is the larger 9-door, 12-passenger version. They say it has an odometer that reads 30,556 miles, but do not know if it is actual or not. They say the car runs and drives, and has no structural rust issues, except for poor paint. They seem to suggest everything is original, including the interior. Cheap purple window tinting has obviously been added, however.

I would give it a fresh tuneup and a new coat of extra glossy white paint, then just let this thing roll. Limos are popular in the suburbs during prom season. Even in hipster urban areas like Brooklyn, there has got to be right occasion for this thing. If you can market the appeal, it could be a nice addition to an existing limo fleet or a viable little business of its own.

Find it here on ebay in Hillsboro, Wisconsin with 6 bids at $4,650 and 1 day left.

Non-Taxi: 1974 Checker Marathon Sedan V8

The Marathon was a rear-wheel drive sedan and wagon produced by Checker from 1961-1982. It also served as the iconic taxi cab for several major American cities during that same time span. In fact, I just watched Taxi Driver for the first time last night and Travis Bickle's ride is none other than a Checker cab.

This here is the infrequently seen non-cabbie civilian sedan version, and the owner also states it was never used as an official cab, a plus for buyers not interested in extra wear, tear and abuse.

It looks beautiful in metallic navy blue paint, charming white roof, whitewall tires and the elegant pre-5mph mandate bumpers.

Styling is an instant classic, with excellent proportions and just the right amount of chrome accents. The quad round lights and broad grille in the front are pitch-perfect and the rear is utterly charming with a gently sloping c pillar, bubble rear window, rounded trunk and pointed off corners. I like that it was released in 1961, but looks more like 1955, and then continued unchanged for 20 years.

This '74 survivor has a 350 GM V8 engine, much more desirable than the smaller 6-cylinders these sometimes came with.

The seller states they are only the second owner in the past 38 years.

Mechanically, they say the vehicle starts, runs and drives fine and the V8 is strong and doesn't smoke. They do say it leaks transmission fluid, the a/c doesn't work and the dashboard doesn't light up.

Cosmetically, they say the vehicle appears to never have been in an accident and panels line up straight but it does have some rust. However, they say it was never amateurishly filled.

This example also has the quirky 'jump' seats in the rear.

This could be a great opportunity to acquire a very handsome non-taxi Checker Marathon. The colors are just right and the car seems to be good as either a plain driver or potential total restoration at some point. They were made for a long period of time but are definitely not commonplace nowadays.

The seller is open to inspections and test drives.

Find it here on ebay in Pottsville, Pennsylvania with bidding at $1,457.54 and no reserve.

Decommissioned Cab: 1979 Checker Marathon Taxi

Watch any movie from the '60s, '70s and '80s set in one of America's major cities and chances are you'll see a classic Checker Marathon taxi cab being used.

The Checker Marathon was THE taxi cab on the mean streets of New York, Chicago, Minneapolis and many other cities for a good chunk of the late 20th century period.

I love these things.

Checker Motors Corp. was an auto manufacturer based in Kalamazoo, Michigan from 1922 to 2010.

The Marathon was their range of full-size, rear-wheel drive sedans and wagons produced from 1961 to 1982, which is quite a long time. It went largely unchanged for years, except for government mandated bumpers added in 1974 and various engine refinements.

The styling must have been considered already dated for a 1961 debut. The car looks more like it's from 1955, but that's part of the charm and perhaps a key to its longevity. Was it the first intentionally retro-styled car? I'm not sure, but the designers definitely crafted a memorable instant classic.

This 1979 example was produced toward the end of its run. The Marathon came with either a 6 or 8-cylinder engine. The seller doesn't state which engine this has, but it looks like an inline 6-cylinder from the pictures. By '79, the I6 produced between 110-155 horsepower, depending on the number of carbs. That's not a lot of power, especially for a large and heavy vehicle. But these weren't supposed to be racecars, so power is beside the point.

The seller is located in Illinois so this thing probably prowled the streets of Chicago for years before ending up on ebay now. The patina is incredible. It's a good thing rust is red-brown, because it blends perfectly with the bright taxi yellow body paint. The roof looks scorched from sun and rain.

The seller states the odometer displays 26,360 miles and doubtless turned over given how much these were driven. They do say the engine runs and drives, which is great news. However, they say the speedometer isn't working correctly, steering feels hard, and door handles are missing.

Cosmetically, there are also a number of issues. Rust is just the least of the problem. The seller says there appears to be several previous attempts at painting and repairing the body.

Inside, they say the headliner is sagging, door panels are coming off, the floor is rotted and the seats are slashed.

In short, this Checker Marathon has seen some wild times.

Can you imagine all of the crazy passengers and incidents that happened in this thing?

This has been run on ebay dozens of times over the past few months and I've been dying to spotlight it here. It's back again this week, but with only a couple days left. The seller must have a certain figure they want for it. Current bidding is at $1,175. They may have a point. The Hemmings CPI Value Guide places the value of a 1973-82 Checker Marathon at $2,400-$11,500, with a 3% increase in prices. The value of these are rising, and they are definitely a collector car. Although many were made over many years, most used as cabs were junked, for obvious reasons as newer cars replaced them and the old ones were usually beat. Finding any Checker Cab is seeming like a hard thing. That makes this one, despite the poor condition, still a good find. I kind of like the condition, too, it's perfecting fitting their gritty utilitarian usage.

Actually owning one could go either way. The car begs for a full restoration to glory, or could be a vintage piece to just let sit, as-is, and imagine all of the loony antics, rainy late nights and long kisses goodbye this car must have witnessed.

Find it here on ebay.